Code Geass: Alden Of The Uprising
by VeniVediViceroy
Summary: A retelling of Code Geass in which the power of Geass was given not to Lelouch vi Britannia, but an average Britannian named Alden Pelham. Seeing first hand the discrimination and mistreatment of the Elevens, Alden begins fighting to bring freedom and equality while also struggling with his own morality. For Want Of A Nail, OC, First-Person POV.
1. Stage 01: The Broken Illusion

The Shinjuku Ghetto is more often than not a place you try to avoid. But there I was, a Britannian, walking through the Ghettos. I should probably introduce myself: my name is Alden Pelham. I'm 17 years old and I attend Ashford Academy. And at the moment, I'm deep in an Eleven-infested rathole. What was I doing in said rathole? Not much, really: just taking a shortcut home.

I made sure I would 'blend in' as I took a shortcut through here: with just a zip up hoodie over my school uniform and a pair of scuffed up jeans, I looked like an actual Eleven...which wasn't actually something to boast about, all things considered.

As I walked through the slums, I looked up and down at the Elevens, living in perpetual filth and decay...as was their right. But I couldn't tell them that: I had to blend in, or they'd gang up on me and...erm, I'd rather not think what they would do to me. I hummed along to the radio until a breaking news segment interrupted my favorite song:

"_We apologize for the interruption. Now, his Royal Highness, Prince Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia, will address the nation..."_

To be honest, I never liked Prince Clovis: and it wasn't because of his policies, he was doing a damn decent job. He just came across as a total pansy.

"_To all my imperial subjects, including the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the Empire of Britannia..."_

I realized that a couple of Elevens were looking at me funny because I had stopped dead in my tracks to listen to the broadcast. I broke into a swift walk, putting as much distance between me and the gawking Elevens as I could.

"_Do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest, only to be torn apart! _(A bit melodramatic, Your Highness...) _The remnants are filled with rage and sadness_ (You're laying it on way too thick...) _However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind!"_

Wait, terrorism? I opened up my cellphone and looked at the news feed: a bunch of extremist Elevens had blown up a medical facility. I did my best not to react in front of the Elevens. This was low, even for them...

I could hear screeching tires as I walked past a warehouse. Immediately, my survival instincts decided to override my sense of horror as I jumped backwards.

Have you ever watched a truck zoom past you at 80 miles per hour while it's only a couple inches away from you? It's pretty jarring, to say the least. The truck plowed into the warehouse with a deafening 'crash'. That would have been a capital time to give your insurance company a ring.

I had two options before me: I could either walk as far as I could before the police started asking me questions as a witness, or I could hop into the truck, see if the drivers were alright, and do something that was both probably stupid and potentially awesome.

…

Option number two it is!

I found a ladder and climbed up to the top of the truck. "Oi!" I shouted. "Is there anyone in the vehicle? Do you need help?"

That's when I heard it: a voice, coming from somewhere unknown, echoing in my mind:

"_It's you...Finally, I have found my..."_

...this was probably not a good time to start developing schizophrenia. The voices in my head were ignored as I looked for a way into the truck. The wheels squealed as the truck abruptly started moving again. I swore as I fell over, slipping through a hatch in the truck's roof and falling on my face. "Hey!" I protested as my nose began bleeding. "Stop the truck! There's an extra passenger in here, and HE WANTS OUT, DAMMIT!"

There was an large, odd-looking spherical object made of metal inside of the truck's cargo. Since there was no ladder in sight, I decided the best course of action was to use the object to climb back up. I planted my foot on the ball when I heard speakers from outside the truck:

"_Stop! Surrender yourself now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court!"_

My eyes widened as the realization that my day- if not my life- had officially gone to hell sunk in. As if to underline the fact, sounds of machinegun fire filled the air. The truck swerved side to side, bouncing me off the walls like a rubber ball. This was turning out to be quite a shitty day. _"Give up now, or we'll shoot to kill!"_ warned the loudspeakers. I curled up into a ball and cowered. When I woke up this morning, dying was the last thing I thought I would be doing. I heard hissing air as a door from the truck's cab opened.

Through the doorway stepped a rather...er, _shapely_ young girl about my age. She had piercing blue eyes, red hair that was spiked up (what was the deal with that?), and was wearing a magenta jumpsuit that zipped up to her neck. She was talking to someone (probably the driver) about using something. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I hoped it would get me out of this nightmare alive. For some reason, she looked familiar, but my panicked brain was unwilling to piece together where I had seen her before.

I turned my head to see...**HOLY SHIT!**

A Knightmare Frame!? Where did she get that? When I was much younger, I had been crazy about Knightmares and had memorized the various models, so I immediately recognized it as a Glasgow. The current models were the Sutherland and the Gloucester, but the Glasgow was still a damn formidable weapon. The back of the truck opened up as the Glasgow jumped out, ready to face the army copters following the truck. It was at that point I realized that the people in the truck were_ freakin' terrorists. _

And then I realized something else: the military was following the truck...that I was in...

"Shit..." I whimpered, terrified beyond all belief. "I'm doomed..." I could hear another voice being sent through speakers, mentioning a Sutherland...oh God help me, they've deployed Knightmares of their own, I didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell!

There was gunfire, and the truck swerved again as my face decided to make friends with the wall. My nose was gushing with blood as I moaned and shakily got back up on my feet. This was a good time to check my phone and see if I could call for help. I reached into my pocket, only to find bits and pieces of plastic and broken electronics. This day just kept getting worse. There was only one way I could escape this scenario: wait for the truck to stop and bail. I sat down, bracing myself against the spherical object to prevent further tumbling about. I closed my eyes, praying to God to make it out of this mess alive. Eventually, the truck came to a stop, and a side door opened up, pouring a tiny bit of light into the cargo trailer. I began to stumble towards the exit when a Britannian soldier came out of nowhere, doing some sort of gravity-defying jump/spin kick that struck me square in the chest and sent me crashing into the wall for the umpteenth time. The soldier grabbed me by the throat. "That's enough of your mindless murder!" he snarled. From the sound of his voice, he didn't sound very old.

"Wait, this is a big misunderst-glurgh!" The soldier tightened his grip around my throat, and my head was swimming from the lack of oxygen. "Planning to use poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!"

"G-get the fuck o-off me!" I choked, kneeing the soldier in the gut. Doing so was probably a major crime, but I'm screwed anyway so what's one more offence?

The soldier stumbled backwards as I gasped for air. "I didn't get in this goddamn truck on my own accord!" I yelled, glaring at the soldier. "I'm a Britannian! Why would I kill my own people?"

The sound of hissing interrupted our little stand-off as the device- probably the poison gas that Mr. Spinsalot was referring to- began to open up. The soldier whipped off his gas mask and put it over my mouth, using the crook of his elbow to cover his own. The device opened and light shone from within revealing...

A girl?

The girl looked rather peculiar: green hair, yellow eyes, and wearing what looked like a straightjacket. She fell out of the pod, and I rushed to catch her. That's when lights turned on, pointed at me and the soldier.

"Stinking monkey." snarled a voice. I turned to see a man who looked to have quite a bit of authority standing in front a group of Britannian soldiers. "Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

The soldier ran towards the officer. "But sir, I was told that this was poison gas." I didn't like where this was going. "Are you questioning your orders?" snarled the officer. I realized they had declared the cargo to be 'poisonous' for a reason beyond just hiding the true nature of it: it would spell trouble for the Britannian Military if it were unleashed.

"However," said the officer, "In light of your military achievements I'm going to be lenient." He handed the soldier a pistol. Oh, this was not going to end well.

"Private Kururugi, take this pistol and execute the terrorist."

Well, _fuck._

The soldier named "Kururugi" seemed upset by the orders. "But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian that got caught up in this." It was at that moment I felt the urge to give Kururugi a bro-hug. The officer, on the other hand, was not so kind.

"You insubordinate little...THAT'S AN ORDER! Didn't you swear your life and loyalty to Britannia?"

Before today, I would've sided with the officer. But in the light of these events, and seeing how the government was ready to lie just to save their own asses, I felt like I had to reconsider my opinions of my nation's government. I was about to die at the hands of the army that I thought was sworn to keep me safe.

"I won't do it!" said Kururugi. Once again, the urge to hug grew. Kururugi turned to look at me. "I won't shoot a civilian." Forget hugging. I wanted Kururugi to be my brother-in-spirit.

"Very well..." said the officer as he pressed the barrel of the pistol against Kururugi's back and fired.

The officer turned back towards me.

"You picked a bad day to cut class." he mused. "W-would you believe I was on my way to school when I got tangled up in this mess?" I asked, laughing nervously. The officer chuckled. "Collect the girl, then kill the student." he ordered.

And without warning, the truck's cab exploded. Thankfully, the blast was mostly directed upwards. I briefly looked towards the sky, thanked the good Lord for his charity, and hauled ass out of there.

Outside, I could hear screaming and gunfire. It dawned on me that the government was so hell-bent on keeping this girl a secret that they'd declare genocide to do so. The Elevens weren't the savages. It was the Britannians, who pushed propaganda down the throats of the masses to maintain the public's loyalty. They lied to the citizens, who didn't suspect a thing, and taught them to view the Elevens- no, the Japanese- as less than human. And I had believed it all. I ran down the corridor and felt the girl stir in my arms. I looked down, into her half-closed eyes. "Who are you?" I whispered, terrified and confused. "Why are you so important to them?" The girl gave no reply. "They're willing to kill thousands...just to keep you a secret..." I continued, not really expecting any reply.

I couldn't carry her much longer. I put her down in front of a stairway leading upwards. "Stay quiet and wait here. Do not let anyone see you." I said. The green-haired girl nodded wordlessly. I went up the stairs, ducking behind a crate. Peeking my head around the corner, I watched silently as a few soldiers shot down a Japanese civilian. The officer was there. I grimaced. I had gotten out of the frying pan only to land in the fire. I could hear the sound of a child crying, and shuddered as gunfire roared in response. I stepped to the side, retreating back into cover, and my heel knocked over a discarded a glass bottle. Immediately, all guns were aimed at me. If I got out of this alive, I swore I would never litter again.

"An appropriate place for a terrorist to die..." chuckled the officer. I gritted my teeth in anger. "You did well for a student, but that's to be expected, given your Britannian heritage. However, my young man, today is your final day on this earth. I hope you said farewell to your parents this morning."

The officer pointed his gun at me. I shut my eyes as I waited for my life to come to an abrupt end.

"He mustn't die!" cried the girl as I heard footsteps. There was a gunshot, and I opened my eyes, finding that I was very much alive. The girl, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Already two complete strangers had died to save me. This wasn't right...this wasn't fair.

"A shame." said the officer. "We were supposed to bring her back alive...oh well."

"You bastard." I snarled, giving the officer the middle finger. Might as well be defiant 'til the end. I wished I could've done something with my life, but it was too late to do anything now.

Suddenly, I felt the girl's hand grip my wrist. Time froze as I could hear the girl's voice in my mind:

"_You don't want it to end here, do you?"_

"What?" I asked, unsure of what was happening. Visions flashed before my eyes.

"_You seem to have a reason for living. If I grant you power, could you carry on? Let us make a deal: in exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions: while living in a world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time. A different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a solitary life...are you prepared for this?"_

I thought for less than half a second. I wanted to change things, I wanted to expose the truth of Britannia's cruelty.

I wanted an uprising.

"I accept the terms of your contract!" I shouted in reply. There was no turning back.

I stared at the officer and his cronies, one hand placed over my right eye, which now felt like there was something throbbing behind it.

"Allow me to ask you a question: how do you think a Britannian who hates his nation should live?"

The officer pointed the pistol at my forehead. "Are you some kind of radical?" he asked in reply.

I smirked. "Why haven't you killed me yet? I'm just a child...or have you finally figured out that those who live by the sword are doomed to die by it as well?"

The vision in my right eye was tinted red. I pointed my finger at the crowd of armed soldiers and their officer, and said: "I demand that you...yes, all of you..._**DIE!**_"

The officer's eyes took on a faint red glow as he began giggling like a lunatic. "I hear and I obey!" cried the officer. The officer put the pistol to his temple, and the other soldiers followed suit. "Fire!"

Multiple gunshots rang as each soldier and the officer offed themselves on my orders. Their lifeless bodies collapsed to the floor. My stomach turned as I put a hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. I had killed them...I had commanded them to commit suicide.

I shook my head, trying to thinking clearly. With this power, I could make the change I so dearly sought. But was it worth the price of my innocence?


	2. Stage 02: En Passant

I looked down at the lifeless body of the green-haired girl. I didn't understand what would convince her to give me this strange power? Did she know that I wanted a revolution after seeing the true face of the Britannian Empire? Did she have some ulterior motive?

My pondering was interrupted by the sound of a Sutherland plowing through a wall. A woman's voice crackled through a speaker:

"You there, what happened? What are you doing here?"

Dammit, Alden, _think!_ I tried to come up with a plausible alibi. The woman in the Sutherland seemed to grow impatient. "Are you stupid? Answer me, or you'll be executed!"

To prove she was completely dead frickin' serious, she fired the Sutherland's rifle over my head. Bullet holes as big around as hubcaps formed in the wall behind me.

Fuck this, it's brainwashing time.

"I demand you exit your Knightmare." I said, the vision in my right eye once again going red. "Who the hell do you think you are, giving me demands?" snarled the woman. Well, fuck, looks like I just broke my new power...no, wait, maybe I needed to make eye contact...

"My name is William Pettengill." I lied. "My dad's a duke. My ID card is in my back pocket. As soon as you verify who I am, I'll request your aid." That did the trick: the cockpit opened and the pilot stepped out. She was a tall woman with tan skin, with long silvery-white hair she kept in a single ponytail, and she seemed to be about 26.

"Keep your hands in the air. I'll check your I.D." commanded the pilot, moving a hand towards the pistol holstered at her waist. A rather cheeky side of me was tempted to hold off on mind controlling her until she was in the process of checking my back pocket. (Hey, I'm a teenage boy, don't judge me.) However, doing so would leave my life up to chance, and my rationality bested my biology. I immediately let my eye go red. "Hand over your gun and your Knightmare." I commanded. "I hear and I obey." replied the woman before she handed me her pistol and the operations key for the Knightmare, telling me the key code. I smiled as I got into the Sutherland.

This was almost child's play.

I had to find an exit route. If anyone found out that I was in this Sutherland, it would be game over. I suddenly remembered the Glasgow girl. Maybe I would fare better if I go her help. I turned on the map display, looking to see where she might be..._there!_ And there were Sutherlands chasing her- not good. I sped off, hoping I'd make it in time, all while testing the communications channels until...ah! The map icon for the Glasgow lit up. I found a perch to put my Sutherland and turned on the receiver.

"You can get to the west entrance if you take the rails!" I barked. The Glasgow Girl did not seem amused by my intrusion. "Who the hell is this?" shouted Miss Glasgow. "How'd you get this frequency?" I clicked my tongue lazily, like a parent unphased by their child's antics. "If you want to win this fight, then simply do as I say." There was silence, then the map icon for the Glasgow began tracing the rails, with the Sutherlands still in pursuit. I interweaved my fingers together and furrowed my brow, trying to think of what to do next.

My thinking was abruptly interrupted when Glasgow told me about the oncoming train. I lunged for the receiver and almost dropped it while fumbling for the call button. "JUMP!" I shouted, my heart attempting to pound out a beat often found in heavy metal songs. I watched from the rooftops as the Glasgow hopped onto the train's roof and ran across its length. Two Sutherlands were tailing her: one was trying to stop the train, the other was about to follow the Glasgow's lead and jump on the train. "Not on my watch..." I mumbled. I hit the button on the triggers and watched the Slash Harkens to swat away the jumping Sutherland. The pilot of the other Sutherland called my radio, demanding my identification.

"This is all the identification I need." was my reply as I fired my Knightmare's rifle at the Britannian. The enemy unit swerved, pulling out its rifle. I was about to dive for cover when the Glasgow came back to charge the Britannian. I let out an enthusiastic whoop as the pilot pre-emptively ejected.

"You saved me." said the Glasgow Girl. "But where'd you get the Sutherland?" I smiled. "Let's just say I'm a very charming individual." If I was correct, Glasgow's friends should be arriving soon. I slipped out of sight and turned the map display on. I was met with a wonderful surprise: the train was full of unused Sutherlands! Booyah.

I quickly began thinking up possible plans of attack, but came up with nothing- I wasn't a planner, I was a do-er. I acted on instinct and reactions; I had gotten lucky with the train. "Glasgow, can you run decoy?" I asked. "Sure..." answered the girl

"Hey, these things have no IMFs!" shouted one of the rebels. "What if this is a trap?" Damn, I hadn't thought of that. Thankfully, another rebel was way ahead of me: "The Britannians have the advantage, they don't need traps."

I was silent; I needed to focus on the map and watch what the enemy was doing. I noticed two Sutherlands approaching our location. "Fire through the left wall, now!" I barked, acting on my instinct. The rebels complied, successfully taking out the enemy units. I breathed a sigh of relief as the pilots ejected from their now-inoperable Knightmares. They were the enemy, but I wanted to avoid getting more blood in my hands if I could help it. Another Sutherland was fast approaching.

"Deploy Slash Harkens, 3 o'clock!"

With that, another enemy Knightmare bit the dust. I grimaced as the Knightmare fell backwards, completely crushing the cockpit. Looking back at the map, I noticed Glasgow had managed to take out two Sutherlands on her own- quite impressive. This girl was an amazing pilot.

Whoever was leading the assault was getting nervous: they were throwing forces at us at fast as they could, only for them to be wiped out as I reacted as necessary. I looked down to notice someone in an Ashford uniform looking for a place to hide from the carnage. Hey, wait a minute- I knew that guy, I was in my class...er, what was his name again? Leonard? Lazarus? Lester?

...oh, right, Lelouch!

I grabbed my communications receiver. "One of you, get the student to safety." I ordered. "B-but he's a Britannian!" protested one of the rebels. "Doesn't matter," I replied. "He's just a bystander, we can't let him get killed in the crossfire." The rebel swore furiously as he pulled up to Lelouch and admitted him into the cockpit of his Sutherland. I looked back to the map and...holy crap, that's a lot of enemy Sutherlands. My brain went into overdrive. I had to come up with a counterattack. Could I get the rebels to a hiding spot? No, that wasn't even a viable option...the enemy was moving in too fast.

An idea struck me like lightning- it was crazy, it was borderline insane, but it was our only hope. "Spread out!" I commanded, my fingers crossed in desperate hope. The enemy Sutherlands arrived just as the rebels got into position.

Here's hoping all those lazy summer afternoons spent playing old-school shooter games paid off...

"Alright, begin firing! Encircle the enemy and whatever you do, _do not stop moving._" The rebels hit hard and fast, circle-strafing the enemy Sutherlands. The Britannians didn't stand a chance. I chuckled to myself. I couldn't believe that had actually worked- my luck was holding out.

"What on Earth is tha- GYAH!"

Eh? I looked back to the map- one of the rebels just lost their Sutherland. "Status report, now!" I barked. "I'm alright, and so's the Britannian kid...some white-colored Knightmare came at me from nowhere and beat the shit outta my Sutherland."

"I'll pick up the student." I replied, frowning at the sudden turn of events. "Everyone else, group up and find that white Knightmare: I want it gone NOW!" The rebels banded together and began sweeping the alleys and streets for signs of our surprise visitor. I drove up to Lelouch and opened the cockpit. "Get in."

"A-Alden?" gasped Lelouch. "What are you doing here?" I chuckled. "I could ask you the same...we need to get out of the Ghetto as soon as possible. Can you keep this a secret?" I didn't want to use my power on Lelouch at the moment. Lelouch nodded. I tightly gripped the controls of the Sutherland and hoped the others had taken care of that Knightmare.

"Gyaaaah!" A couple of screaming Knightmares crushed that hope as their map icons on the map blinked out. Things had taken a turn for the worst.

I decided it would be wise to find higher ground and try to spot the mystery unit was. I moved the Sutherland up into a ruined skyscraper. However, as I tried to find the enemy, the sound of a Slash Harken digging into the side of the building announced the fact that the enemy had found _me_. As the Slash Harken pulled up the Knightmare, I finally got a good look at what was tearing us to pieces: it was a admittedly majestic-looking Knightmare, colored white and gold. It's shape gave off the impression of a noble warrior. I could hear Lelouch grinding his teeth together as he crouched behind the cockpit chair. I aimed the Sutherland's rifle and fired. In response, the white Knightmare raised its arm as a green, diamond-shaped translucent barrier formed on its forearm, deflecting the bullets.

…

Well that's just not fair.

The Knightmare shot a Slash Harken a me, and alarms buzzed in the cockpit as the Sutherland's arm was torn off.

"We need to get out of here!" yelled Lelouch. I grimaced as I watched the white Knightmare level its rifle at us. I shut one eye, bracing for the worst...

There was a terrific crash as the Glasgow returned, plowing through a wall and tackling the enemy Knightmare. I swear, I am going to send that girl roses if we get out of here alive. I could hear the white Knightmare's pilot speaking through a speaker. "By Prince Clovis' orders, I will defeat you!"

That got a reaction out of Lelouch. "Clovis is here?!" I turned to give him a puzzled look. "Uh...I would assume so." Lelouch seemed positively furious. "That swine..." he muttered.

Glasgow and the white Knightmare were duking it out as I looked down at the floor and noticed some ominous-looking cracks were starting to form beneath them. I dived for the communications receiver. "Glasgow, fire the Slash Harkens at the ceiling!" I barked, panicked. The girl seemed to trust me enough to follow through with the order immediately. She got the Glasgow of the floor just as it gave way, taking the white Knightmare down with it. "You saved me again..." said the girl, addressing me over the radio. I smiled. "It was just the right thing to do...think nothing of it."

A Slash Harken shot up, bringing with it the white Knightmare, now missing an arm. The Knightmare launched itself at me, brandishing a rifle. I slammed the controls and backed the Sutherland as fast as it would go as I boldly dived out the side of the building to make my escape.

…

Alright, alright, I wasn't looking where I was going and fell out of the building. Geez...

I used the Slash Harkens to grab onto a ledge and slammed the Sutherland's feet against the side of the tower. There was an ear-splitting grinding noise as the Sutherland slowed to a halt halfway down. Me and Lelouch both sighed in relief.

The Glasgow and the white Knightmare apparently thought that I was having a party on the side of the building and decided to try crashing it, much to my chagrin. I decided to risk my own neck and detached one of the Harkens from the ledge and used it to catch the Glasgow. The Sutherland shifted as the weight of the Glasgow threatened to sever the Harken now holding two Knightmare frames three stories above ground. I quickly began to extend the cable. This was the third time I've saved the Glasgow Girl...I really hope she doesn't think she's being a burden.

The white Knightmare plummeted downward, landing on its feet. How was that even possible? Was the pilot a freakin' _cat!?_ I zipped away from the white Knightmare, as did the Glasgow- we weren't retreating, we were advancing in a different direction. The white Knightmare was in hot pursuit, aiming its gun at me. I think the pilot had a serious bone to pick with me. There was a rumbling sound, and I turned my head to see a building collapsing...and a woman who was falling out of the crumbling structure. I turned the Sutherland, getting ready to fire...only to see the white Knightmare was busy rescuing the woman from an otherwise certain demise. I couldn't help but respect that. You win this time, White Knight. "Disengage." I said, addressing the Glasgow Girl.

"...Understood." she replied, sounding a bit hesitant. I furrowed my brow in thought. If Clovis was here, that meant it was likely him that ordered the decimation of the Shinjuku Ghetto. I gritted my teeth as anger washed over me. Ever fiber of my being wanted to find whatever mobile base he was holed up in and blow it to bits. But only me and Glasgow Girl were left, Lelouch was in the cockpit, and the other rebels were still in danger. I contacted the Glasgow:

"Go regroup with your comrades and get them to safety." I commanded. "What are you going to do?" asked the Glasgow Girl. (Note to self: find out what her real name was.)

"Something foolish." I answered. "Now go!" I sped off before she could object. looking for the ever-familiar deep violet shape of a Royal Britannian Mobile Base. Lelouch didn't seem too happy with what I was doing. "What are you trying to pull!?" he shouted. "I thought you said we had to get out of Shinjuku!"

"I've got 'swine' to attend to." I explained. Lelouch's face paled as he understood what I was talking about. "Are you insane!?" "Possibly."

At last, the mobile base was in my sight. Opening the cockpit, I mentally prepared myself. I would have to utilize my powers to their fullest if I was going to make this admittedly stupid plan work. If I made even the slightest, and it would all fall apart...

"Let me go with you."

I'm sorry, did I hear that right? I turned to face Lelouch. "What? You just called me insane for trying this, why do you suddenly want to join me?"

"It's personal." replied Lelouch. I was hesitant: what business did Lelouch Lamperouge have with Prince Clovis?

I sighed. I got the feeling that Lelouch wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer. "...fine. But you're responsible for your own hide out here. Just wait here a sec."

A hundred and twenty 'secs' later and two brainwashed guards later, I returned to Lelouch and I threw him a soldier's uniform, I had already put mine on. "We're going incognito."

It took a bit of finesse to time our path to the Prince's room, but much to my delight, we made it there without incident.

We walked in, and Clovis (the little priss) smiled. "Has the operation been finished?" he asked. I drew the pistol I'd taken off the woman I'd gotten my Sutherland from. "Not quite." I chuckled, removing my helmet. Lelouch did the same, and Clovis suddenly smiled. Oh hell, did I just walk into a trap!?

"I thought you had died when we brought Area 11 into the fold!" gasped Clovis happily, looking at Lelouch. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, brother?"

Oh good, it wasn't a...

Wait...

_BROTHER!?_


	3. Stage 03: Identities And Misfortunes

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, I was born of royal blood." Clovis smiled. "It warms my heart to see you alive and well. We should depart for the mainland at once!"

Lelouch didn't seem amused by the offer. "You think I will go back to being a pawn for diplomacy?" Wow, somebody's bitter.

"You know fully well why I'm here, Clovis: to avenge my mother's murder!"

Oh, that explained it.

"My mother was given the title Knight of Honor, but was a commoner by birth" continued Lelouch. "A fact that infuriated the other viceroys. So you plotted to murder her, and made it look like the work of terrorists!"

The atmosphere in the room grew unbearably tense. Clovis looked like he was about to soil himself. "It wasn't me, I swear!" screamed Clovis. Lelouch looked like it was about to pump Clovis full of lead. Clovis might be a horrid excuse for a human being, but I really didn't want another person dying. Time for me to intervene.

"Tell us what you know!" I commanded, stepping in front of Lelouch. Clovis mumbled the words "I hear and I obey" and nodded. "I do not know who killed Empress Marianne." confessed Clovis. "All I know is that it was one of my siblings."

"That narrows it down." I said, addressing Lelouch. He shook his head. "Not exactly. My father had a hundred and eight wives and sired many children through them."

_Seriously? A hundred and eight?_

"That's all I know." finished Clovis as my power released its hold on him. Lelouch cocked the gun, aiming it at Clovis' forehead. "Then you are of no further use to me." said Lelouch. I yelped and grabbed Lelouch by the wrist, trying to take the gun away. "Are you serious?" I yelled. "We've got the chance to take Prince Clovis hostage, and you're gonna pass it up!? _Did the Emperor drop you when you were born!?_"

"Let...go!" grunted Lelouch, trying to break free from my grip. Our little argument had drawn the attention of the guards we had previously given the slip. Well, my powers had worked on groups once before, let's go for two.

"Out of our way!" I ordered. The guards obeyed, stepping to the side. Lelouch broke free from my grip and got a bead on Clovis. There was no time to take the gun- I used my hand to turn the gun downwards as it fired. Clovis fell out of his chair, blood oozing from his abdomen. I heard a nasty cracking sound as his head hit the floor. Lelouch swore as I dragged him out of the room by his arm. "You need anger management." I snarled, ordering guards to stand down as necessary. "You need to stop meddling in the affairs of others." retorted Lelouch. "How are you ordering the guards around?"

"I'm not sure..." I answer. Lelouch clicked his tongue at my half-true reply, but didn't question it any further. We made it out of the mobile base and proceeded to ditch our disguises.

"So, any ideas as to who's responsible for killing your mom?" I asked. Lelouch nodded grimly. "I've narrowed it down to two possible conspirators: Cornelia and Schneizel." He sighed in frustration. "It'd be best if you just forgot about this..." Oh, right, that whole 'I am royalty' bit. "Forget about what?" I replied, grinning. Lelouch returned my smile. I guess we were friends now. We left the ghetto together, discussing possible alibis.

That night was spent lying in my bed wide awake, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. In the space of one day, I had gained the power to subjugate others to my will, piloted a Knightmare, found out one of my classmates was a member of the royal family, and tore the Britannian Military a new one. I had a funny feeling sleep wasn't going to come easy.

I actually did manage to squeeze in three hours of sleep in before my alarm clock went off. I immediately sprung out of bed, as I had no roommates to drag me out of my bed. I didn't mind being alone in the dorm, it was nice and quiet, and I could study uninterrupted. I took a quick shower as I continued to reflect on the events of the day before. The thing that stood out most was my new ability.

I stood before the mirror to make sure I was looking presentable. I was a fairly decent-looking fellow: sand-colored hair that I kept combed back (save for two strands that would hang down in front of my forehead no matter how much I combed them) blue eyes, average height and build...overall, I was alright looking, but then again I had classmates who I shall leave unnamed that looked like Versailles Ltd. models, which made me seem plain in comparison- which was alright, I guess. On a whim, I turned on my ability as if preparing to use it. I watched my right eye go from blue to deep red, and a pink sigil vaguely resembling a bird in flight formed in my eye. I let my power fade, and my eye reverted to normal. Odd.

On my way to school, the principal's granddaughter and the president of the student council, Milly Ashford, tugged on my shoulder. "Alden, where were you yesterday? You didn't show up for class, and nobody on the fencing team saw you at practice." I opened my mouth to give her my alibi when she cut me off. "You need to stop ditching the student council meetings!" I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, I don't ditch the meetings on purpose, I just forget when we have them." In my defense, I was being totally honest, but she wouldn't buy it. "You're coming to today's meeting, even if I have to drag you there like carry-on luggage!" The scary thing is that she wasn't even joking. I shook my head as the image of her dragging me across the floor by my ankles filled my mind. "Don't worry, I'll be there..."

I was true to my word, and arrived at the meeting only late by 30 seconds due to my desire to stop at the vending machine and get an orange juice-I had skipped breakfast. Lelouch was there, too, and he looked like he was about to nod off at any second. I bet he was just as knackered as I was. Also in attendance was our secretary, Rivalz Cardemonde, (for some unknown reason, the 'i' in his name is pronounced like the 'i' in 'carnival', and the 'z' was silent.) Shirley Fenette, a member of the swim team, and Nina Einstein, a rather shy young girl. I sat down as Milly began talking about the budgets of the school's extra-curricular clubs. I did my best to look attentive, occasionally nodding from time to time. My mind was fixed on the Shinjuku Skirmish, and refused to think of any other topic. I was snapped out my reverie by the sound of Milly bopping Lelouch over the head with a rolled-up piece of paper- a warning that I should be looking even more attentive.

"What was that for?" grumbled Lelouch. Milly frowned. "I know you fell asleep, your head stopped moving!" Lelouch shook his head. "You don't need to beat me up over it." "Ha!" jeered Rivalz. "Serves you right for ditching me yesterday." "That's enough you guys!" scolded Milly. "If we don't come up with a fix for the club activities budgets, there won't be anything at all!"

"And if it comes to that..." began Nina. Rivalz cut her off. "...then the equestrian team will get pissed, and we don't need them coming in on horseback." Milly sighed as an equestrian team member rode past the window looking outwards. I watched him warily in case he got any funny ideas like crashing through the window on his horse. "Rivalz, I wish you'd take your responsibilities as a student council member more seriously." lectured Milly. Shirley stood up. "It would've been nice if you told us a day earlier!" "I would have to say a day later," argued Rivalz. "Then we would've given up." "Good idea! We can still do that." said Lelouch. I snickered. "Now, now, Lelouch, you can't wriggle your way out of this and expect others to do you work for you like some lazy prince." Lelouch didn't seem amused by our little in-joke.

"_GUTS!"_ shouted Milly. I jumped a little in my seat- Milly could be pretty loud when she wanted to be...

…

Hehehehe...

Oh, c'mon, don't give me that look.

"Are you still on that 'motivational cheering' kick?" I asked, taking a swig of my orange juice. "Yep!" replied Milly with a smile as she put a hand on the table and leaned forward. "I want you guys to give it 100 percent!" "I don't think your cheering is going to do much..." said Lelouch. Shirley stood up in response. "Actually, it's got me going Madam President!" said Shirley.

"Supple AND willing, I like that." commented Milly. I took the opportunity to begin slowly draining the rest of my juice. "I train hard in the gymnastics club!" replied Shirley. Wait, I thought she was in the swimming club...eh, whatever. "That's not what I was getting at..." sighed Milly. "...you're a 10."

...just keep drinking your juice, Alden, do not say a word...holy crap, Milly just pulled off a god-tier rapeface.

"From what I've seen in the girl's bathroom, anyways," continued Milly, "You're filling out in all the right places."

I choked on my orange juice and made a noise that sounded like 'asdfgdsf' as I clasped a hand over my mouth. Shirley squealed in discomfort while everyone else laughed.

With that little meeting done and over with, I headed to class.

"Kallen, it's been ages!"

Hm? What was this about?

There were a couple of students crowded around a student who I couldn't quite see through the wall of people. "Are you alright?" asked a student. "You've been sick all this time...you're OK though, right?" One of the students stepped to the side a bit, and I could see the person in the middle of the crowd was a red haired g-

HOLY CRAP!

It was her! The Glasgow Girl! She was wearing her hair down this time around, but that hair color and her eyes matched perfectly! But why would she be here? Surely, she'd be an Eleven, given how passionately she was about fighting the Britannians.

"Heya, Alden!" Rivalz sat down at his desk behind and to the left of mine, right behind Lelouch. "Oh, hey..." I mumbled inattentively. Rivalz followed my eyesight and chuckled. "Oh ho! See something you like, Alden?"

"He's probably just surprised- Kallen isn't here often." hypothesized Lelouch. Rivalz nodded."Yeah, Kallen's supposed to have some sorta illness...come to think of it, she wasn't here much last year, either. But still, her grades are at the top of the class..."

To be honest, I wasn't interested in hearing Kallen's background, but I listened anyway.

"And she's from the Stadtfeld family." added Lelouch. Rivalz nodded. "Which means she's well-bred, and rolling in money!" Rivalz lightly smacked me on the shoulder. "Boy, Alden, you really know how to pick 'em!" That's not why Kallen interested me, but I've learned that self-depreciation is a good way to hide your true intentions. I made a show of shrugging my shoulders. "Nah, I'm way out of her league." I sighed. Rivalz chuckled, patting me on the shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself, dude..."

Lunchtime came around, and I found Kallen...did she just karate chop a bee in flight? Damn, that takes skill. She couldn't be the ill girl everyone thought she was...it had to be a bluff. She turned and saw me. "C-can I help you with something?" asked Kallen. My eye turned red as I spoke. "I want you to answer some questions." Her eyes became tinted with a faint red glow. "I hear and I obey." said Kallen. I wondered why they always said that...

"Were you the pilot of the Glasgow in Shinjuku?" I asked. "Yes." answered Kallen.

"Why are you fighting the Britannians?" I continued. "Because I'm Japanese...though technically I'm a Britannian." explained Kallen. Interesting...

"Why go so far?"

"My brother died fighting the Britannians." "I see..." I let my power fade, and Kallen snapped back to attention. "Uh, did you need something?" I shook my head and began walking away when I realized I forgotten to take a precaution. My eye turned red again and I looked back at Kallen. "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

She gave me a funny look. "What do you mean about Shinjuku?"

Oh crap.

It didn't take effect...but why? I was making direct eye contact with her, what went wrong? I didn't want to press my luck and end up making a mistake. I shook my head. "You should go back to class."

"Not until you explain yourself!" explained Kallen. I got the impression that she was about to kick my ass six ways to Sunday.

"Kallen~! Alden~!"

I looked up and behind me to see Shirley leaning out a window. "It's time to go to the chem lab, better get going!"

The day went without much incident. I headed back to my dorm. There was something I had wanted to do since yesterday...

The next day, Kallen had come to class to find a large bouquet of roses on her desk. "Oooh, Kallen's got an admirer~" sang one of the students. "See if there's a note!" said another. I watched Kallen find the envelope and open it up. "It just says 'Thank You'." said Kallen.

I did my best not to grin.

I had figured out why my power didn't work on Kallen- I could only use it once on any given individual, so I had to make each one count.

The school day dragged on like normal, but I was worried that I'd blown my cover with Kallen. I decided that the time to run damage control was now. I approached Kallen. "K-Kallen?" I asked, trying to sound like an average lovelorn fool instead of a terrorist. "D-do you have a moment?" Kallen stood up from her seat. "Sure. I've actually been meaning to talk to you..."

I led her to a place I knew we could talk in privacy- the student council clubhouse. "Are you sure we won't be disturbed?" asked Kallen. I nodded.

As if to prove me wrong, I heard Lelouch yell "I found it!", then Nina and Shirley's voices. Damn, it was like watching Murphy's Law in action. Before I could leave, the entire student council had arrived, with Milly wearing an apron (I'd be lying if I said it didn't look good on her...) and pushing a cart of hors d'oeuvres. "What's all this about?" I asked. So much for my private chat with Kallen. "Didn't you know?" asked Milly. "We're inducting Kallen into the student council. With her poor health, she'd have a hard time with regular club activities..." The members introduced themselves to Kallen. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." said Kallen, bowing. A small girl in an electric wheelchair entered the room, a tray of cupcakes on her lap. For some reason, her eyes was shut. I didn't recognize her from anywhere, so was I the only lost here...nope, Kallen didn't seem to recognize her either. We could agree on something, yay~

"Nunnally, what are you doing here? asked Lelouch. "This is Lelouch's sister, Nunnally." explained Milly. "I'm in the middle school, so I can't be in student council yet." said Nunnally. Christ, she was adorable. Lelouch must be pretty damn protective of her. Rivalz smiled. "That's alright, you're an honorary member in our book!" He moved towards the cart and pulled out a dark green glass bottle held shut by a cork. I liked where this was going. "Let's kick this off with a toast!" said Rivalz. "Atta boy, Rivalz!" I cheered. "Is that champagne?" asked Shirley, looking worried. Nina stood behind Shirley. "B-but we're on the student council, we shouldn't!" Goddammit people, _don't kill my buzz!_

"Relax!" said Rivalz, trying to uncork the bottle. "It's just sparkling cider."

…

Wow, I don't think I've ever been this disappointed in my life...

"Let me see that bottle!" demanded Shirley. She tried to take the bottle from Rivalz, who threw it to Lelouch. Lelouch grabbed the bottle, only for the cork to pop out and pop out towards Kallen, as the fizzy contents of the bottle spurted out. Kallen swatted the cork aside, but the contents of the bottle drenched her.

Kallen went to go wash her off, and somehow I was stuck with running up some of Lelouch's spare duds for her to wear. I found the shower room and knocked on the door. "Hey, it's me, Alden." I said. "I brought you some spare clothes." "Come on in, the curtain's drawn." I opened the door. Sheesh, it was humid! How high had she turned the water on? Was she trying to make a sauna? "I hope you don't mind, these are Lelouch's clothes." I said. "Sorry 'bout the student council members making a mess..." Kallen sighed. "It's alright...you can't be all business all the time."

"True, true..." I said, smiling.

"Hey, could you hand me the pouch by the sink?" I picked up the item question and gingerly stuck my hand through the shower curtain.

In hindsight, I should have been at least a little suspicious.

I felt Kallen tightly clutch my wrist. At first, I didn't think much of it. "Wow, you're a fiery young girl..." I joked as she took the pouch from me. "Making your move on day one-how bold!"

My joking faux-flirts were immediately cut short as I heard the sound of a switchblade unfolding. I cursed my lack of foresight- how could I have gotten so careless?

"Were you the one in Shinjuku?" asked Kallen. Crap, there was nothing I could do...my power wouldn't work on her! "What are you talking about?" I countered. Might as well play dumb. "You know exactly what I'm talking about..." muttered Kallen. "The Sutherland?"

"All I know is there was a gas attack launched by terrorists...and from the way you're talking, I say you were somehow involved..."

Kallen grunted. She had just put herself in a compromising position: if I were to tell someone she knew about the skirmish, law enforcement would get involved and it would be 'bye-bye, Kallen'.

"...never mind..." huffed Kallen. I turned my attention to the mirror on the opposite wall, admiring her reflection. After a moment of ogling the mirror, I sighed. "...may I suggest re-adjusting the shower curtain?" Kallen yelped and threw the curtain shut. I chuckled as I walked out. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone..."

Afterwards, I walked back to the student council with Lelouch and Kallen. Yep, just three perfectly ordinary teenaged terrorists. "There's not much actual work to do in the student council..." explained Lelouch, talking to Kallen. "Occasionally, we'll plan student events." "Oh, like the culture festival?" asked Kallen. Lelouch nodded. "Yep, as well as the crossdresser's ball, the absolute silence party, and swimsuit day." "What's up with that?" asked Kallen.

"Blame 'Madam President'," I explained. "It's a running joke that showing too much skin around her is hazardous for your health." Lelouch and Kallen both laughed.

"Lelouch, it's awful!"

Nunnally's distressed voice greeted us. The student council members were watching a news report on TV. "Prince Clovis has been hospitalized!" explained Milly. The report cut to a speech being given by a guy called Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald:

"Prince Clovis fought for peace and justice- against all Elevens! He was stricken down as part of a cowardly publicity stunt, and now his life hangs in the balance!"

The scene changed again.

"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news: an arrest has been made in the case of Prince Clovis' attempted murder! The suspect: an Honorary Britannian-"

My stomach turned as I watched two soldiers dragging away the suspect, who I recognized from Shinjuku.

"-Private Suzaku Kururugi. I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi arrested for attempted murder."

I looked over at Lelouch to see he was looking at me. We stood there wordlessly as it sunk in: Kururugi was being framed for our actions.


	4. Stage 04: The Name Of A Legend

**Disclaimer: I do not own CG(and sorry for my lack of disclaimers)**

Lelouch wasted no time in pulling me aside to speak with me.

"This is bad." he said. I glared at him. "No shit, Sherlock." I tend to get snippy when I'm agitated. "We gotta do something to save Kururugi." Lelouch frowned at my suggestion. "In case you've forgotten, Suzaku's being held by the Empire of Britannia. Do you honestly think they'll let him go if we asked nicely?"

Actually, that was totally possible...

"Why are you so freaked about this guy in particular got shafted?" I asked. "Do you know this Suzaku guy?" Lelouch's expression turned dark.

"He was a childhood friend of Nunnally and I," explained Lelouch, "He was the son of Japan's prime minister before the occupation, and he took us in after the Emperor disowned us." I nodded solemnly. "I see...so why won't you try to save him?"

Lelouch shook his head in frustration. "I've got my reasons..." he muttered. I clenched my fists. "Are your _reasons_ more important than the fact that _you were the one that pulled the_ _fucking trigger_?" Every fiber in my body yearned to punch Lelouch in the face for his selfishness. Lelouch glowered at me. "Don't try to guilt me into helping you," he hissed, "I don't regret my decisions, I don't feel any guilt. The only _regret_ I have is that I failed to kill Clovis. If you want to get yourself killed over saving Suzaku, go right ahead. But don't expect any help from me." Lelouch turned and stalked away. I grumbled and kicked the wall. There was an alternative, but it would take a hell of a lot of planning.

After using my power to get the necessary equipment ready, I headed out to my destination: Tokyo Tower. I had dropped off a prepaid phone at the lost and found for a certain red-haired girl to pick up. One mass brainwash later, I was sitting in a train car. I flipped open the other prepaid phone and rang up the phone for Kallen. Her voice responded:

"Hello?" I smirked. It was time for the uprising to begin...

"Get on the Line 5 outbound. Bring your friends."

I sat down and literally twiddled my thumbs for 10 minutes before I called her again. "Face forward, then turn to your right. Now, can you see it?" Kallen huffed indignantly. "The Britannian city? Obviously I can see it."

I laughed. "Well of course you can, I wasn't questioning your abilities of observation, what I mean is what do _you_, as an individual, see when you look at it?"

Kallen didn't even pause to think over her answer: "A city that was stolen from Japan and built upon our sacrifice." "Very good. And to your left, what do you _see_?" "Remnants of a desiccated city sucked dry by Britannia." I smirked. "Make your way to the front of the train."

I closed the phone and stood at the far end of the train car, tapping my foot as I waited. Eventually, I heard the door from the other car slide open behind me.

"Was that you in Shinjuku?" asked Kallen. "You are correct." I answered, my back turned to them- which seemed to anger the rebels Kallen was being accompanied by. "Hey. why don't you face us?" one of them demanded. I turned to face Kallen and her comrades, who were surprised when they saw me. I was quite a sight in this disguise: A white duster jacket that reached my ankles, white boots and gloves, a sheathed rapier at my right side, and a revolver holstered at my left side. Concealing my face was a mask/helmet portraying a white face with a sly, subtle smile, an upturned moustache, red cheeks and a thin, vertical pointed beard, and across the forehead was a modified version of the sigil in my eye, painted in gold. Topping it all off was a white fedora with a black band. "How did you like my tour of the settlement?" I asked. "I wanted you to remember how deep the divide between the Elevens and the Britannians is."

A curly haired rebel stepped forward. "We know. The difference is as harsh as it gets, that's why we resist them." I shook my head. "You're wrong. Britannia will not be swayed by mere terrorism. You need to know your enemy: it's not people, but the lies and doctrines and twisted beliefs of Britannia. This is a war that must be fought- but not upon the innocent, no, it must not be on those who have done no wrong. You must for equality!"

"Easy enough for you to say, hiding behind that mask like a coward!" shouted Kallen. "Why don't you show your face?" "I'm afraid I can't do that." I answered. "What I can do is give you a demonstration of my skill. If I can give you a miracle, will you trust me?" "What kind of miracle?" asked Kallen.

I smiled behind my mask. "I will save Suzaku Kururugi."

_That_ got their attention.

"Yeah, right!" laughed a rebel. "That's not gonna happen!" "All I need is some help." I continued. "I cannot do this alone." Kallen and the curly-haired rebel looked at each other hesitantly. "How about you two?" I asked, pointing at them, who were both taken aback. "Are you out of your mind?!" shouted Kallen. I shrugged. "Eh, just a little- but that insanity is what lets me do what other would consider impossible."

The train stopped and I made my way to where I had arranged a planning meeting with the curly haired rebel (Ohgi) and Kallen. The plan involved a mock-up of Clovis' personal transport and the pod that had held that green-haired girl. All the cards were on the table. It was time for the game to begin.

That night, the car drove down the main road, approaching the bridge that Kururugi would cross en route to his trial. I smiled behind my mask, barely able to contain the combination of nerves and exhilaration. "It's show time." I whispered.

The car stopped and I could hear Jeremiah addressing me via megaphone. "You dare desecrate the name of Prince Clovis? Who the hell are you? Show yourself!"

The Britannian flag I was standing behind fell, revealing me to the crowd. "Feast your eyes!" I bellowed, addressing the crowd of spectators lined along the sidewalks. "You see before you, the face of a humble fellow, fixed into the form of both friend AND foe by the fickle finger of Fate. This face is no facetious facade, it would be folly to say so. Instead, it is a fragment of a forgotten friend of the masses now fallen from the forefront of the minds of the public. I am a face of freedom, which is lacking at the moment present. Fortunately, this fine chap you see before you is fired up by the will to free fury upon fiendish felons who flay the fallen for farce!"

I drew my rapier, pointing it at Jeremiah. My voice lowered and grinned wickedly behind my mask.

"The only fate is a fearsome reckoning, a retribution, not formed in foolishness, but for the fortunes of the forsaken and the forgotten..."

I laughed.

"For sure, this flamboyant introduction must feel too flashy...you may call me 'Fawkes'..."

"I'm not impressed by your speech, Fawkes!" shouted Jeremiah. "It's time to pull the plug on your little show. Now take off that damned mask..."

I tapped my foot three times: Kallen's cue to unveil our little ruse. The trunk behind me opened, revealing the metal pod. Jeremiah's eyes widened. "You bastard..." he growled. Jeremiah leveled his gun at me. "I'm not going to take this sitting down!" I laughed. "You plan to shoot me, how quaint! Look, Jer, we can avoid hundreds of casualties if you just fulfill my demands..."

Jeremiah glared at me. "What demands?" he asked. "As if you didn't already know..." I sighed. "Give me Kururugi."

Jeremiah clenched his fist and slammed it against the rail of his platform. "Absolutely not! Suzaku Kururugi has been charged for the attempted assassination of Prince Clovis!"

I laughed again. "It seems you've got the wrong guy...you see, it was me who attacked Clovis!"

The crowd went into a frenzy. Jeremiah's jaw dropped as he stared at me in shock. "So here's my offer," I continued, pacing back and forth on the roof of the truck's cab. "A single Eleven for, oh, about a thousand or so Britannians? I dunno about you, but I would take that deal in a heartbeat." Jeremiah snarled. "You're nothing but a madman! You'll pay for mocking Britannia!"

The Sutherlands trained their guns on me. Fuck, this was getting a bit too hot to handle. But, once again, a crazy idea sprang to my mind. I waggled my finger at Jeremiah like a parent chastising an unruly child. "Now, now, Jeremiah, let's reconsider. I just told you that I'm guilty. However, you insist on keeping Kururugi in custody. It would be in your best interest..."

I reached up to my button and hit a button, causing a segment in front of my right eye to retract. My eye went red as I finished my sentence: "...if you let us, as well as Kururugi, leave here unharmed, no matter what it takes."

Jeremiah was silent for a moment as my power took hold of him. Then, he spoke: "Let the prisoner go!"

The Britannians weren't exactly thrilled with this turn of events. They tried to reason with Jeremiah, but he wasn't going to listen. Suzaku was let go and walked towards me in silence. I smiled and reached into my coat pocket, hitting a button on the remote that operated a smoke machine hidden inside of the metal pod. Ohgi deployed a safety net under the bridge, and I grabbed Suzaku. As we jumped off the bridge to make our escape, I could hear Jeremiah struggling with the other soldiers.

Kallen drove us back to the hideout, where I decided to talk to Suzaku.

"So now that you've seen just how nasty the Britannian Empire can get, Private Kururugi. It's nothing more than a cesspool of hate and bigotry. With your help, we can change it for the better."

Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "I agree with your goals, but not with your methods." He turned away from me and began walking away. "You're putting innocent lives at stake to further your agenda...progress made through unjust means is progress not worth making."

"Where do you think you're going?!" I shouted.

"I've got a court marshall in an hour." answered Suzaku. I gritted my teeth. "Are you an idiot?! It's just a mock trial!"

"Rules are rules," countered Suzaku. "If I don't go, every Eleven and Honorary Britannian will suffer..."

"You'll be executed!"

"It's for the best."

I clenched my fists. There was no reasoning with him. He saved my life, but I couldn't save his.

It wasn't fair...


	5. Stage 05: The Unwanted Visitor

I trudged back to my dorm, feeling quite defeated. There was no way I could save Suzaku now. Reaching the door, I noticed something disconcerting-

It was unlocked.

I was certain I had locked the door when I left...what if there was some evidence in there that would prove that I was Fawkes? I nervously moved my hands to the revolver in my windbreaker pocket, turning off the safety. Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, opened the door, and saw something impossible.

It was HER! The green-haired girl from the Shinjuku Ghetto! I had watched her get shot in the _frickin' head_, but yet here she was, eating pizza and sitting on my couch. "B-but...I saw you ge-you're supposed to b-h-how?"

The girl turned to look at me. "Cat got your tongue, Alden? That wouldn't happen if you quit gaping like that..."

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. "Alright, I've got some questions for you. Question one: who are you?"

She sighed. "My name is C.C." she replied. "...okay, that's not really a _name_, but whatever. Question Two: Why are you here?"

"Obviously, I need a place to hide." said C.C. "Your place will do nicely." I faked consideration, taking on a thinking pose. "Hang on lemme think about that- _**hell no!**_**" **I glared at her- where the hell did she get the pizza? She better not have used my goddamn money to pay for it! "Do you realize what would happen if you got caught in here?!" "Yes." I groaned. "Gimme one reason I should let you stay here..." "Does the great 'Fawkes' need any explanation?" she asked coyly, eliciting a death glare out of me. "We're in the same boat here- you made a contract with me, remember? I gave you your Geass." explained C.C. So that's what my mind-control eye is called. Nice to know it has a name. "Me not getting caught is beneficial to you." I sighed in defeat. I could tell that this argument was an uphill battle that I was doomed to lose. "Fine, but where the heck are you gonna sleep?" She stood up and began walking to my bedroom-

Oh no.

She wasn't going to- oh fuck no, she did NOT just hijack my bed! I'm putting my foot down, dammit!

"Now see here!" I shouted, trying to pull C.C. off the bed. "There's only one bed, and there's no freakin' way I'm gonna sleep on the couch. C.C. gave me a devilish grin. "We could always _share_the bed..."

I coughed, unamused by C.C.'s deliberate innuendo. "Fat chance." I mumbled. I went to my closet, pulling out a pile of pillows and lying them on the floor. I grumbled as I hit the lights and lied down on my makeshift bed. C.C. apparently decided that was a good time to tell me something:

"Oh, by the way, I used some of your money to pay for the pizza."

"_**Goddammit C.C.!"**_

The next morning I had school, which meant C.C. was going to be in my dorm- a prospect that scared the hell out of me. I got dressed, and stood next to the he-er, _my_bed. "C.C." I said. "Wake up."

No response.

"C.C., wake up."

Still nothing. Still as the grave. (Oh, that's wishful thinking.)

I began shaking her. "C.C., _wake up!_**" **The green-haired girl slowly opened one eye to look at me. "You're too loud..." she mumbled, rolling over. "...and too annoying."

I sighed. She brought this upon herself. I grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her out of the bed. She landed on her backside with a soft thump. Now fully awake, she looked at me crossly. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" I said sardonically. She glared at me. "What do you want?"

"We need to set up some ground rules." I answered. "You are not to leave this room unless it is an emergency,and you are not to let anyone to know that you're in here, and you are to stay out of trouble!"

She rolled her eyes. "Why should I do what you say? Hm?" I glared. "My dorm. My rules." She laughed. "It's not your dorm, the Academy owns it." I grumbled. This girl was gonna be the end of me.

Class was pretty boring, as per the norm. I sighed as I sat down on a bench in the courtyard, browsing the web on my phone to check the news:

**SUZAKU KURURUGI: ACQUITTED **

I smiled. Things were looking u-

Oh, _God._..

C.C. was in the courtyard, dressed in some of my casual clothes. I ran over to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her quickly through the building and up to the roof.

"What the hell are you doing here? I told you not to leave the dorm unless it was an emergency!" C.C. sighed, sauntering to the handrail that encircled the roof. "I got hungry and went out some pizza. I was passing by anyway, so I decided to check in on you."

"Last time I checked, pizza didn't count as an emergency." I said flatly. "Dammit, if you can't do what I ask of you I might as well Geass you into staying put..." C.C. glanced over at me. "Are you sure it would work?" I tensed up. "What does that mean?" She scoffed, as if I had asked the most obvious question possible. "Geass has no effect on me." she answered. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to jeopardize our partnership."

I groaned as she left. My life kept taking turns, turns that were growing more dangerous and strange with each change of events. I briefly pondered why this great responsibility had fallen upon my lap. True, I undertook the role of Fawkes on my own volition, but who'd expect a plain, average high school student to become a revolutionary?

(Author's Note's)

Sorry for the delay. I have a habit of writing my fanfiction on paper before typing it out, and I misplaced the notebook with the Alden chapters in it. Whoops~

Also, if there's anyone reading this with drawing skills, I'd love you forever if you drew a cover picture for me. Please.

*Reviewer Questions*

uub: Spoilers, my friend :3

Blade8821: There's going to be divergences from canon very soon.

R&R, guys. Or Alden will Geass you into doing something embarrassing.


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